Circles in the Sand (31 page)

El Gordo glanced at him, and seeing a man with a gun drawn, jumped up and shouted, “HOLA.”

Quickly on him, Fritz shoved him down to the floor, into a lobby of screaming women: OOOOHHHHAAAARHA,why you dooooo? What you  want?OOAHHHUNGH.

“Shut up, Shut up all of you right now.” Fritz cocked his revolver and pointed it at the cringing Mexican. “Shut up…or he gets it!”

Olivia, Marie-Elena, Tawny and Sheree, without any early day business had been sitting around talking when Fritz burst in. Now they huddled together and tried to stifle their sobs and cries.

Fritz motioned for El Gordo to crawl over near the women. “Now then, who else is around here? Any customers in back?”

Calmed some from Fritz not shooting, Olivia stood and said, “No one’s here but us. And just what do you want? Why are you here?”

“To collect a debt for starters. You two God damned bitches owe me three thousand dollar…for Marie-Elena’s missing cherry!”

“That’s not true, Fritz. You’re the only one to ever screw me. You enjoyed my virginity.”

“That’s not what I hear. And screwing college boys since, and an abortion. You sure played me for a sucker.”

Olivia said, “I showed you the affidavit from Doctor Rapunski. He swore she was a virgin.”

“Yeah? Maybe you paid him too. I’ve been hearing all about her fucking from other people.”

“Someone’s been lying to you Fritz,” Olivia said.

“Yeah. You! Now cough up that three thousand. I ain’t got all day.”

“Fritz, I don’t have three thousand on hand.”

“Don’t bull shit me.” He aimed his revolver at Olivia and cocked the hammer. “Smith and Wesson here is my debt collecting attorney. Cough it up!”

Olivia sighed and got the money from her safe. She laid it on the bar counter. Fritz said, “Unhunh. Bring it over here. Count it slowly out to me.
None of the rest of you move
.”

After she gave him the money, she said, “All right Fritz. You got what you came for. Why don’t you leave now?”

“That’s a good question. I’m not through. I think you can give me a hand.”

“How can we do that? People are looking for you. Why don’t you just leave… before someone finds out you’re here?”

“Maybe I want a certain person to find me here. That’s how you’re going to help. How do you think you can get Sergeant Greybull to come here?”

Now standing from behind the bar, Marie-Elena spoke. “How do we know? He’s never been here on our business.”

“You mean there’s one of those airmen who hasn’t fucked you yet? You must be losing your charm. Wore your pussy out on those college boys, huh?”
Damn,I oughta just shoot her… and be through with her cheating ass!
  “Which one knocked you up, do you know? I’d like to have that one here. I’d sure cut his nuts off. I might do it to Greybull too.”

Marie-Elena decided to keep quiet. The women were convinced Fritz was insane, and didn’t want to provoke him. “Well, ladies, are you thinking? Have you figured out how to get Greybull in here?”

“Why do you want him?” Olivia said. “Has he done something to you?”

“Yeah…he an’ his damn Air Force been fucking up things for me ever since he got here. He shoulda left when I told him too.”
Being fucked up reminds me again. Marie-Elena, cheated on me…after I paid for her cherry…or did I? I DON’T THINK SO! And God damned Olivia set me up for it!
His rage building up, his breath in gasps, his face screwed up…his eyes bursting…

BANG!

He shot Marie-Elena!

The remaining women screamed hysterically: OHOHOH OHYOU SHOT HER WHHHHY OHHHH, YOUKILL HEROOOH OH YOU C RAZZZYYY!  And rushed to her.

Damn, that was bright. Everyone in West Layover probably heard that noise.
Fritz cracked the front door to see if anyone reacted to his shot.

Olivia screamed, “Why  you do that? You really are crazy! OOHHHWHHHHYY You’ve almost killed her.” She howled and cried oblivious to his rage.

“Damn it! Stop that noise…or if she ain’t dead, I’ll finish the job! STOP IT NOW…or  first I shoot the Mex.!” That individual cringed on the floor as the women kept screaming.

BANG!

Fritz shot El Gordo in the head. “Keep it up and I’ll shoot all of you!”

Now the lobby reeked with the smell of gunpowder and the unfortunate Mexican’s blood and loosened bowels. Olivia tried to calm and quiet Tawny and Sheree. They kept on crying but tried to do it less vocally. Fritz cracked the door again. Still couldn’t see any response to the second shot.
Damn. I’m getting nowhere.

In Sheriff Radecker’s office, Tommy said, “I believe I’ve heard a couple of gun shots. But I can’t tell where from.”

“Go on out and look around. Everyone around here should know better than to be shooting in town.”

“Maybe it was outside. I’ll see.” Tommy got in the Jeep and slowly drove up Main Street. He kept looking around but didn’t see anything unusual; no activity, no one sporting a weapon.
Maybe it was the Injuns across the river. Hard telling.

From the Boar Pen door, Fritz watched what he could see of Tommy’s travel.
Yeah, he heard it, but got no idea where it came from
. He turned back to Olivia. “You call that Greybull and get him down here. You better think of something to tell him. Killing more of you don’t make any difference to me.”

Guardedly, Tawny said, “Tell Greybull we found out something about that dead airman.”

“Like what?”

“He wanted to talk to Jill. Tell him she’s here…and got something to tell him.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” Fritz said. “Now get on it.”

The resourceful prostitutes knew every phone number in the surrounding area. Stalling, Olivia fumbled around behind the bar until she found a phone notebook. “I don’t think we can call that military place from here. They got their own phone system.”

Tawny saw Fritz getting antsy again, and found the number for Olivia. Afraid for their lives, she dialed the number for Q-1 and hoped no one answered.

Clint was there and said “Hello, Sergeant Greybull speaking.”

“Oh, Sergeant Greybull.” Olivia’s voice quivered so much she couldn’t continue. Seeing her hesitation, Fritz grabbed the phone out of her hand and gave it to Tawny. He muttered, “You do it!” He stood close to her so he could hear some of the conversation.

Tawny’s  hand shook. She swallowed and weakly said, “Jill is here now and wants to talk to you.”

“Who?”

“J-J-Jill. About that airman. The one who drowned.”

“Okay. Put her on, I’ll talk to her.”

“Sh-Sh-She’s very upset. Wants you to come here…to the Boar Pen.” She hung up before he could answer.

“What did ya’ hang up for? God damn it. Now how in hell do I know if and when he’s coming?”

Olivia said, “Why don’t you just go. What do you need him for? If you left now, you could still get away. The longer you stay here, the worst are your chances. Pretty soon other men will show up here. Then were will you be?”

Back at Q-1, Clint  thought about the phone call from the Boar Pen.
Mighty odd. I believe that was the older woman, Olivia, who answered me. And then a younger voice, but both of them sounding funny. Why couldn’t Jill come to the phone? Did I hear a man’s voice snap at the second woman? I wonder what’s going on down there. Guess I better go see.

When Clint knocked on  the front door of the boar Pen, Fritz hissed at Marie, “Just open the door and tell him to come in.”

Olivia trembled so much she could barely do it. “C-c-come in,” Olivia said  while slowly nodding ‘no.’

Clint stepped over the threshold, “What’s the matter…”

Fritz shoved Olivia out of the way, aimed at Clint said, “Get in here. Fly boy!”

“Fritz! What the hell?”

“Shoulda got out of here when I told you, Greybull. You’ve been a real pain in the ass.”

Clint took in El Gordo’s body, but couldn’t see Marie-Elena’s behind the bar. “You know I couldn’t just leave because you wanted me to. I was assigned here. You’re in so much trouble, why don’t you just turn yourself in. Crazy as you must be, you’d get off on an insanity plea.”

“Crazy am I? You don’t know how crazy. I’m gonna make you soooo sorry…I’m gonna cut your nuts out too.”

“Hell you are!”

“Yore right. I’m not gonna. One of these ladies…is gonna do it for me.”

The huddled women moaned hysterically. AAHHHHGHNOOOO. Olivia collapsed against the wall. “OOHHH no, no, we can’t…we can’t do that. No, no, no.” All thee sobbed. Olivia saw Marie-Elena sit up with a dazed look on her face. She felt of the wound on her scalp. Out of Fritz’s sight, Olivia motioned Marie-Elena down.

“Sure ya’ can. It’ll be easy. Know why? Because he’s gonna just let ya’ do it.”

Clint said, “Go to hell, Fritz. You’re crazier than a warped signal.”

“You want to know why you’re gonna be so helpful, Sergeant. Cuzz. I expect you might be some kind of a gentlemen. I think you’d rather lose your nuts…than see me shoot these ladies…one at a time…right?”

Olivia screamed. “He’ll kill us, anyway. Marie-Elena’s dead back here. We Won’t do it!” 

BANG!

Fritz shot at, but missed Olivia.

Fritz’s gun wavered from him, Clint reacted. He leaped on Fritz, knocked him off-balance, grabbed at the gun hand…both fell, Clint over Fritz’s chest. They struggled for the gun. Fritz couldn’t aim at Clint; with free hand, struck at Clint’s head. Clint let go of the gun arm with one hand, jammed his elbow into Fritz’s throat. Gasping, Fritz pummeled Clint’s head again. For more leverage, Clint pulled up on his knees. Fritz squirmed from under him, wrenched his gun arm away from Clint. Both on their feet-desperate. Clint flung himself at Fritz. Got one hand on pistol wrist. The gun went off…

BANG!

D
idn’t hit either man.

The thee women came out of their daze and scrambled to the door. Olivia shoved Tawny and Sherry out. “Get Help!” She turned back to the fighting men. She stooped, grasped a knife from El Gordo’s boot. Standing, she tried to stab Fritz, feared cutting Clint. Fritz tried to bring his arm around to shoot her. Clint jerked his gun hand up. Clint’s body open to him, Fritz kneed him. Collapsing, Clint couldn’t hold onto the gun hand. Fritz turned to swat Olivia down with his gun. The knife flew away from her.

“Hunnh uhnhhhh  unnnh.” Fritz tried to catch his breath, his gun pointed at Clint, who writhed in pain on the floor, Olivia nearby. Fritz’s back was exposed to Marie-Elena crawling toward him.

Still breathing hard, Fritz said, “Well Fly Boy. You God damned son of a bitch. I’m about to even up the score. NO, No, don’t move, or I’ll shoot Olivia first. Now you just lie there until I’m ready to pull the trigger.”

“You crazy dip shit. Do you really know how nutty you are?”

Fritz sneered. “Big talk, Mr. psychologist. I’m really going to enjoy what you’ve got to say when I
shoot your nuts off!
”

Marie-Elena reached El Gordo’s knife.
If he shoots Sergeant Greybull, it’s too late.
She slid the knife towards Clint. To disguise that motion she groaned “Oooohhhh,” and rolled away.

Fritz whirled around, turned the gun towards her. “Well, I’ll be damned. You weren’t dead after all. Just as well. I’m really going to enjoy you this time. How about that? If I’d really been the first one to fuck you, I’m damn  sure going to be the last.”

“OHHHhhhhh, NO…NO. Please don’t kill me Fritz! You’ve nearly killed me already. People have lied to you. They’ve lied about me!
Got to stall him…as long as possible.
  You’re the only man who’s ever fucked me. And now you can fuck me all you want. Please don’t kill me. I don’t want to die.”

Recovering and watching Fritz, Clint thought, s
he’s got him wondering. He looks like he wants to believe her.

“And you really expect me to believe that? Believe I’m the only ones who’s been in your pants? And even after  some sorry  airman ate your pussy? You must think I’m a real fool. There’s only one thing you can do to keep from dieing…You cut off Greybull’s nuts, NOW!

“Ohhhh  No. How can you expect me to do that?”

“With Olivia’s knife of course. Now where did it get to?”

Meanwhile, Clint grasped the knife. Doubting his ability to effectively throw it, he gathered his legs under him. When Fritz started to turn back to him, he launched himself against the rancher’s side. Surprise, and Clint’s momentum drove the rancher back. Trying to regain his balance, Fritz tried to shoot.  Clint blocked his arm down, stabbed him in the kidney. Shocked, Fritz turned to aim at Clint. Close, Clint stabbed Fritz in the side, pushed him hard. 

Fritz tumbled back over El Gordo’s body. Dying of blood loss from the kidney wound, energy gone, he dropped the gun. His mouth open, Fritz gave a last gasp. His eyes clouded, then closed as his bowels and kidneys flushed…overpowering the smell of blood.

EPILOGUE

“That’s right, Sheriff Radecker. Olivia And Marie-Elena’s  quick thinking saved my life, and probably theirs too. That sonovabitch had the upper hand until the women were cool enough to act. They had a lot of guts.”

“Yeah. Darn good thing Olivia  knew her bodyguard carried a knife. I reckon her thinking Fritz murdered Marie-Elena was enough for Olivia to try to kill him.”

“I’m sure glad Marie-Elena wasn’t dead. That scalp wound will mess up her hairdo for a while.”

“Well, Lilith McCune dressed it up well enough for her to make the trip to the hospital in Glasgow.

“What surprises me, is two such evil men in the small population here.”

“Got nothing to do with it. Rotten people are everywhere.”

“Being in the law, I guess you are far more aware of it than us outsiders.”

“Yeah. Fritz has caused a lot of consternation around here. We’ll be a while cleaning up this mess after him. You can expect to testify in court some time or other. How about sitting down right now and writing out all you know?”

“Sure. You bet.”

“Good. I’ve got to see if Olivia and those other two girls are calm enough to write out statements too.”

Through with his paperwork, Clint headed for another late meal at Gilman’s. He wasn’t surprised that the rest of his troops, and a lot of town folk still sat around in the restaurant when he got there. After hellos all around, he hugged Dorris (to Lilith’s chagrin) and said, “I’ll tell you all what happened, but right now I’m starving. When I’ve had some chow, I’ll talk over coffee.”